City
Epaper

US concerned over alleged detention of Pak activist's father

By IANS | Updated: October 25, 2019 14:55 IST

US Assistant Secretary of State Alice G. Wells on Friday expressed concerns over "reports of the continued harassment" of Pakistani rights activist Gulalai Ismail's family and her father's alleged detention.

Open in App

"We encourage Pakistan to uphold citizens' rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and due process," Dawn news quoted Wells, who is also the in-charge of South Asia affairs at the State Department, as saying in a Twitter post.

On Thursday, Ismail alleged that her father had been picked up from outside the Peshawar High Court.

In a tweet on Friday, Ismail said she had received information that her father had been brought to the court premises.

"He is in bad shape, seems untested, unwell and hypertensed," she added.

Earlier, the activist had criticised the silence of the mainstream Pakistani media following her father's alleged abduction.

"I've run out of words to condemn the criminal silence of media; it has become an ally of (the) military in imposing unannounced martial law," she added.

In September, a New York Times report said that Ismail had escaped Pakistani authorities the previous month and had reached the US, where she applied for political asylum.

She had not disclosed how she managed to leave the country, but she revealed to the newspaper that "I didn't fly out of any airport".

In November 2018, the Islamabad High Court was informed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had recommended putting Ismail's name on the Exit Control List (ECL) for her alleged anti-state activities abroad, Dawn reported.

Following a petition by Ismail challenging the government's decision to put her name on the ECL, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the removal of her name from the list.

According to the New York Times report, Ismail had remained a fugitive since May.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: IsmailPeshawar High CourtpakistanNew York Times
Open in App

Related Stories

Cricket'India Hamare Baap The..': Pakistani Fan Abuses Men in Green After Loss to India in Asia Cup 2025 Final (Watch)

CricketIND vs PAK 2025 Live Streaming: Head-to-Head Record, When and Where to Watch India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Final

Cricket'Abhishek Sharma Bigger Talent Than Yuvraj Singh': Former Pakistan Cricketer After IND vs PAK Match in Asia Cup 2025

Cricket'He Could Have Taken Side Angle': Former Cricket Umpire on Fakhar Zaman's Dismissal in IND vs PAK Super 4 Match of Asia Cup

Other SportsAfter Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, Pakistani Footballer Stirs Row With Controversial Gesture During IND vs PAK SAFF U17 Match (VIDEO)

International Realted Stories

InternationalAustralian state of Victoria facing growing housing crisis: Report

InternationalNepal's Taleju Bhawani temple open doors for the year, sacrifice for Dashain enters final day

International'Look forward to continuing our work to stabilise, rebuild ties': EAM Jaishankar wishes China on occasion of Founding Day

InternationalIndia reaffirms commitment to long-standing friendship with Armenia

InternationalDeath toll rises to 60 in Philippines earthquake